Chapter 116 Cold
The sky gradually brightened.
The temperature dropped sharply on this early winter morning, and the grass along the river was covered with a layer of frost.
Wan Qiqi came out of the house and shivered from the cold.
When I first arrived, it was already autumn, and the weather was still hot. In just over two months, it turned from hot to cold, catching me off guard.
She always thought there would be a transition period, but unexpectedly, it didn't give her any chance at all.
Fortunately, she had prepared winter clothes, otherwise she would definitely have caught a cold in this weather.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw the mule cart already at the gate of the courtyard, and Chen Yongxing was using straw ropes to secure the jars containing soy sauce.
Wan Qiqi was startled.
Is this really Chen Yongxing? How did he become so proactive?
Chen Yongxing caught a glimpse of Wan Qiqi out of the corner of his eye. He saw her arms crossed and trembling slightly. He said, "Sister-in-law, I'm going to deliver the honey grapefruit jam today. You stay home and rest. Didn't Second Aunt say she'd have my cousin and his wife come? You can have them do the work."
Wan Qiqi's teeth were chattering from the cold. Touching her clothes, she realized that this coarse cloth was breathable and not warm, unlike modern synthetic fabrics that were close-fitting and warm.
She looked up and saw that Chen Yongxing was only wearing a thin shirt, which he had been wearing for many years and whose sleeves were obviously too short.
Aren't you cold?
Chen Yongxing smiled, "It's not cold!" He's gotten used to it every year like this.
"Wait a moment, I've packed some clean clothes. Take them to your older brother and the others." Wan Qiqi went into the main room, took out the bundle she had packed yesterday, and stuffed a string of coins inside. "It's urgent, do it yourself, don't let anyone steal it!"
"No way, it's just some old clothes!" Chen Yongxing said, but he carefully packed the package away.
When it gets cold, you never know, someone might even steal your clothes.
"Alright! Go early and come back early..." Wan Qiqi glanced at the stall. Without the tools, it was impossible for him to secretly set up a stall like Chen Yongliang.
Moreover, Chen Yongxing is a bit lazy, so he'll probably finish dropping people off and go home early.
Thinking about this, she felt that Chen Yongxing was more reassuring than Chen Yongliang, since he had a family and would be more considerate.
"Okay, sister-in-law, don't overwork yourself!" Chen Yongxing said before driving away.
Wang emerged from the vegetable garden and saw Wan Qiqi standing at the gate of the courtyard. She called out, "Qiqi, if you're cold, come inside and rest. It's warmer inside."
Wan Qiqi turned around and found that Wang Shi was not dressed much, but she did not seem to be cold at all.
She was a little confused; why did she feel like she was the only one who was afraid of the cold?
"Mother, aren't you cold?"
Wang shook her head and said, "It's only cold today, it will get even colder later."
It will get even colder!
Wan Qiqi's face showed displeasure upon hearing this.
Without down jackets, ovens, or air conditioning, how are we going to get through this?
Seeing Wan Qiqi's expression, Madam Wan smiled indulgently, "This winter will be much better... don't worry."
She still remembers last winter when the family sat around the fire pit all winter long, almost going hungry. In the end, it was her eldest son who braved the bitter cold to go into the mountains and find some food.
This year, we have prepared everything, from food to firewood, making this the best winter we've ever had.
Wan Qiqi shrugged and crossed her arms as she went into the house.
Fifteen minutes later, Wang brought in steaming hot rice porridge, along with some pickled vegetables and eggs cut into small pieces.
Ever since Wan Qiqi said she would help Li Chongniang improve her health, there has never been a shortage of eggs in the house.
In addition to rice porridge, there were also several bowls of rice water with wild vegetables cooked in a thick porridge.
This kind of diet was already very light and simple for Wan Qiqi, but it was unique in Lotus Village!
Other families are already lucky if they have rice porridge or wild vegetable paste, let alone both, plus eggs.
Wan Qiqi thought to herself that milk would be best, as it would be good for both pregnant women and children.
The milk had a fishy smell, which was easily noticeable when mixed with food, so she didn't touch it.
She fed calcium tablets to her two little ones like candy, and often mixed iron and zinc supplements into the honey water that her mother drank, without anyone having any doubts.
Seeing her skinny family members grow plump, Wan Qiqi felt a sense of accomplishment and felt that all the effort was worthwhile!
Halfway through the meal, footsteps could be heard coming from the courtyard.
Then, a gentle female voice came, "Auntie, is Qiqi home?"
Upon hearing this, Li Chongniang's expression changed. She threw the spoon back into the bowl, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction, and muttered, "I told her to return it, and she actually came!"
Wan Qiqi couldn't recognize the voice, but she could tell from Li Chongniang's attitude.
It must be Aunt Zhang's son and daughter-in-law!
She wasn't as unwilling as Li Chongniang. She exchanged a glance with Wang Shi, but neither of them got up. Instead, she called out loudly, "In the main room, come in!"
Chen Ergou and Yunniang pushed open the door and entered. Their cold bodies were quickly enveloped in warmth, and the air was filled with the aroma of rice.
Even though the two had already eaten, the aroma of rice and the sight of the half-eaten egg and the porridge with minced meat on the table made them craving more.
Li Chongniang glanced at them, picked up her spoon, and continued drinking her porridge.
Compared to the Chen family that split up, the old Chen family was managed by Old Madam Chen, and there was only one adult male in the family, Chen Ergou.
It's unclear what kind of curse the Chen family is under, but every year around middle age, the men in the Chen family always run into trouble, leaving the women to support the family.
However, compared to Wang, Aunt Zhang is much happier, because Aunt Zhang's husband only passed away in the last two years, and her son has already started his own family, so she hasn't suffered much hardship.
But Old Mrs. Chen felt that Aunt Zhang was no good. Wang had given birth to three sons, while Aunt Zhang had only given birth to one, who was mediocre and ignorant. Her grandsons were not very smart either. Pingping and An'an were much more clever and cute.
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